BELLEVUE – Today, the firefighters from Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond announced their sole endorsement for Senator Patty Kuderer (D-48), the incumbent challenged by Michelle Darnell and Rodney Tom. Kuderer has held the seat since being appointed in early 2017. She previously served in the House of Representatives.

“Senator Kuderer has a proven track record of standing up for workers and first responders. We know we can count on her to have our back, whether it’s advocating cost for living wage jobs, collective bargaining rights, or improving firefighter safety equipment and training. Senator Kuderer’s record puts her head and shoulders above her opponents and we are proud to support her in her re-election campaign,” said Seth Buchanan, Vice President of Kirkland IAFF Local 2545.

Representing firefighters and paramedics, the Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond IAFF Locals serve the three largest communities in the 48th legislative district.

“I am so proud to have the support of the firefighters in my district. Our first responders work tirelessly every day to protect our communities and I cannot thank them enough for their service. I am committed to ensuring that our firefighters have the tools, resources, and support they need to do their jobs and keep us safe,” stated Kuderer.

During her tenure in the Senate, Kuderer has proven herself to be one of the most effective legislators in Olympia. In 2018 alone, six of the bills that she introduced passed, as did dozens of others that she sponsored.

What a night! I am humbled and honored to return as an elected senator to the Washington State Legislature with nearly 70% of the vote! My work representing the wonderful people of the 48th Legislative District has been on-going even through this election. And there is more work to be done, so it’s a good thing I have a solid work ethic, born out of family values around education, giving back to your community, and caring for your fellow human, that have carried me throughout my entire life. As my dad used to say, ‘the time is going to go by anyway, you might as well be doing something constructive.’ I can’t think of anything more constructive than working on the issues that my fellow constituents care about – excellent quality education; an efficient and multi-modal transportation system that gets folks where they want and need to be safely and without delay; healthcare for all; and a public infrastructure bank, to name just a few. Please come and visit me, whether here in the District or in Olympia!

OLYMPIA – Ahead of the 2018 Legislative Session, Sen. Patty Kuderer, D-Bellevue, was elected by members of the Washington State Senate Democratic Caucus to serve as the Assistant Majority Floor Leader.

“I am honored to serve on the leadership team as the assistant floor leader in a Democratic majority,” said Kuderer. “I am ready to govern and help improve the lives of all Washingtonians.”

As the assistant floor leader, Kuderer will make sure Senate floor action proceeds smoothly and will step in as floor leader when necessary.

Kuderer will be the vice-chair on two committees: the Health & Long Term Care Committee, and the State Government, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee. Additionally, Kuderer will serve as a member on the Financial Institutions & Insurance Committee, and the Labor & Commerce Committee.

“In the 2018 Legislative Session I look forward to working with my colleagues on my committees and to continue to expand access to health care, access to democracy, and access to education,” added Kuderer.

Kuderer was appointed to fill the vacant 48th Legislative District Senate seat on January 5, 2017 after winning her election to the House of Representatives. She was appointed to the House of Representatives in 2015. Kuderer is the first female Senator from the 48th Legislative District.

After winning a pivotal special election in the 45th Legislative District earlier this month, Democrats gained a one-seat majority in the Senate. In the majority, Democrats will set the agenda of Senate committees and will determine which bills will be brought forward for votes.

Some of you already saw this past Friday, but I was honored to make an appearance on King 5's Inside Politics with Natalie Brand!I had a lot of fun sharing my views on the issues and letting voters know the direction I'd like to take our State Senate. I'm leaving a link to the video below, let me known what you think!

Like many of you, I woke up on Monday in horror to the news that there had been a mass shooting in Las Vegas. Fifty-eight people were dead and hundreds more wounded. I felt a rush of grief for the victims and their families, and anger at the man who could commit such an evil act. But alongside those emotions was the horrible feeling of familiarity as our country reacted to yet another act of gun violence.

We’ve seen how this has played out in the past. Everyone offers their thoughts and prayers, the news media uncovers facts about the shooter, we wonder if this will finally be the moment that pushes Congress to act on gun violence, and then they let us down. I’m sick of going through this cycle over and over, while more and more people continue to lose their lives to senseless gun violence. We can and should pass laws that promote responsible gun ownership and save lives.

I'm really excited to announce that Emily's List has endorsed me! It's a privilege to be included alongside these other wonderful women candidates. Just under 6 weeks until Election Day on November 7th and the race is going great! It's been so humbling to speak to folks all over the 48th Legislative District and hear what sorts of issues matter most to them. Whether its education, healthcare, transportation, affordable housing, or all of the above, I've been happy to find that my priorities are lined up with my constituents. Please let me know what you think I should be working on!

I had so much fun marching in the Kirkland 4th of July Parade this year! People of all ages enjoying the sun and festivities for as far as the eye could see. So many marching to celebrate not just our country's birthday, but the values we as Democrats hold dear! We do, however, greatly diverge on our patriotic attire...

They noted that I've "already been successful at promoting sensible legislation with bipartisan support" and that I am the "only logical choice to represent the 48th District in the state Senate."

It's a great honor to have earned their support, and I look forward to continuing my work on behalf of the 48th Legislative District to ensure our kids receive the highest quality education, our roads and bridges get folks where they need to go, and our health care system works for everyone.

Last year I was honored and privileged to serve as your State Representative and now this year as your first female State Senator! Since I was appointed to the Senate this past January, I must stand for special election this November. That means I am off and running to retain my seat.

If preparing for a campaign wasn’t enough, the Legislature is still in session down in Olympia. The big challenge this year as many of you know is satisfying the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision to fully fund basic education. This was my top priority when I first went to the Capitol and remains my top priority today. As the end of the 2017 school year draws to a close, the students, parents, and teachers of Washington are depending on us to get the job done. In order to do that, a compromise has to happen.

As it stands, the Senate Republicans are on one side, and Governor Inslee and the House Democrats are on the other. I’ve been very disappointed with the tactics that the Senate Majority has used so far, refusing to negotiate in favor of political gamesmanship. That is not how you solve tough problems. Whatever compromise ends up coming forward, I’ll evaluate it based on my core principles and do my best to uphold the values of the 48th Legislative District.

Amply funding education is not the only issue that needs fixing. We face many tough issues here in the 48th Legislative District – from improving our transportation system to making sure everyone has health care, to providing affordable housing, protecting our privacy, and making sure needed services are not unnecessarily cut – there’s always more work to be done. Good thing I love the work and am motivated by my parents’ long ago encouragement to “bring some good into this world.”

While my work as a legislator continues throughout the year, I am also busy working closely with my campaign team to gather endorsements, prepare campaign materials, and get ready to hit the ground running. I am proud to have earned the endorsements of Governor Jay Inslee, Lt. Governor Cyrus Habib (and our own former State Senator!), Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal and many, many more. And I would love your support too! This is going to take a team effort to win, so please go to my website at www.pattykuderer.com or visit my Facebook page, Elect Patty Kuderer, and sign up!

Finally, as much fun as all this is - and it really is fun for me - the best gift so far was when Michael (California) and Emily (Colorado) came home for the campaign photoshoot. Spending time with my children is rare, so I cherished and made the most of every minute of their 36 hour whirlwind. You’ll see their cherub faces smiling back at you on my walk piece and on my website. I’m very proud of the work I’ve done as a State Legislator and as a trial attorney, but my kids are my greatest accomplishment.

I am excited to announce that on January 3rd the Democratic Precinct Committee Officers of the 48th Legislative District chose me as one of three selections to go on to the King County Council as the next State Senator (replacing Cyrus Habib who will now be our next Lieutenant Governor).

On January 5th, the King County Council unanimously voted for my appointment. Thank you to everyone who has helped on previous campaigns and on all our policy work in the 48th Legislative District. We have tremendous challenges in this session and I promise to work as hard as ever for the voters in the 48th and the people of the State of Washington.